State Department Guidance Allows Visa Denials Over Obesity, Chronic Illness

In a November 6, 2025 cable to embassies and consulates, Secretary of State Marco Rubio directed consular officers to more aggressively screen visa applicants for conditions that could make them a "public charge," including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular and neurological disease, and mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. Officers were told to request bank statements, assets, and retirement accounts when applicants rely on finances to demonstrate self-sufficiency.

The guidance revives and expands a first-term public-charge approach, this time explicitly naming common, manageable chronic conditions as potential grounds for exclusion. Medical experts said the policy misreads modern healthcare and effectively penalizes routine, widespread health conditions unrelated to a person's ability to work or contribute economically.

Immigration advocates warned the rule could disproportionately affect applicants from poorer countries and older individuals, and could also complicate visits or immigration for relatives of people already living in the United States.